A Relaxing Sunday Stroll (With THESE Kids? Ha!)

It’s a beautiful Spring day. The sun has finally made an appearance and the daffodils are emerging from their sleep. We are heading out as a family for a nice stress stretch. A Sunday strife stroll with the dogs. What could be more relaxing?

Lambs are skipping, rabbits are a-scurrying and the busy white waters of the river at Hardcastle Crags are flowing swiftly over the stones.

Cue the arrival of Family Calamity.

My boys are separated by seven years and a vast chasm of understanding.

They love, they hate, they love to hate. They fight about nothing. It’s all become so predictable that I can now close my eyes and orchestrate the oncoming series of events before it even happens. It goes something like this:-

1. Junior finds a stick

2. Senior takes the stick

3. Senior is asked to give back said stick or face the consequences

4. Senior ignores parent and carries on regardless. Also intermittently poking Junior with the stick when he thinks parents aren’t looking (and has forgotten that Junior has had the power of speech for some years now)

5. Junior cries. No, scratch that. Junior wails like a Banshee

6. Senior gets grounded

7. Senior gives Junior a ‘dig’ for getting him into trouble

8. Mummy has a colossal hissy fit in the middle of the National Trust landscape and wonders out loud why her family appear to be the only people not peacefully meandering along enjoying the sounds of the British springtime…

….and so the cycle repeats itself endlessly.

Is it just me?

Anyway, Hardcastle Crags, near Hebden Bridge. What a doozy. At least the dogs enjoyed it!

2 responses to “A Relaxing Sunday Stroll (With THESE Kids? Ha!)”

That sounds so familiar! I can recall 4 generations of sibling fights! I come from a family of 7 with nearly 21 years between the oldest & youngest. I remember fighting with my oldest sister, 6 yrs older than me, all the time. With the 3 just younger than me, we had variable loyalties, my brother, 2 yrs younger, would rither be “friends” with me against younger sister (4 yrs younger) or he’d be with her against me. The three of us never got along together!
I had 5 with 12 yreas between oldest & youngest. The 3 oldest were all born within 3 yrs, & fought all the time, the next came along 6 yrs after #3 & was everyone’s favorite to pick on. The last came 6 yrs later & was pretty much everyone’s little doll, she was so mellow that there were very few fights that involved her. Even as adults, they still fight a lot, especially #4, fighting with her older siblings. She’s the one who had 2 of her own, 8 yrs apart, who also fought a lot, with the older boy picking on his little sister unmercifully, but also protecting her from torment by anyone else! He’s now daddy to two little ones, 1 & 3 yrs old, who are just learning to fight, so the beat goes on!
Actually, make that 5 generation. My mom & her sister fought with each other until death separated them at 87 & 88 yrs of age!